Hidalgo-Mazzei D, Reinares M, Mateu A, et al. (2018). OpenSIMPLe: A real-world implementation feasibility study of a smartphone-based psychoeducation programme for bipolar disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders. 241: 436-445. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.08.048
SIMPLe is a self-tracking and psychoeducation app for bipolar disorder that allows users to complete daily brief symptom assessments and in-depth weekly assessments and receive psychoeducational messages. SIMPLe has been updated to include medication reminders, gamified achievement and motivational messages, mood tracking, and the ability to submit psychoeducational messages for others. The OpenSIMPLe study evaluated retention, usability, and perceived helpfulness and satisfaction of the updated version SIMPLe. Researchers recruited 201 adults with diagnosed bipolar disorder who spoke Spanish to use SIMPLe over 6 months. Recruitment was posted on the project website and recruitment efforts including posting fliers in affiliated hospitals and alerting patient associations who had previously expressed interest in SIMPLe. Participants completed assessments of wellbeing and health at baseline and 6 months and assessments of intervention usability, satisfaction, and perceived helpfulness at 6 months only. The SIMPLe app recorded participant activity and assessment responses. Participants used the app for a median of 2 months (i.e. completed 5 daily tests and 2 weekly tests within a month), with an attrition rate of about 23.3 users per month. Most participants (66.2%) used the app for less than 4 months and were designated non-completers. Older participants were more likely to complete SIMPLe than younger participants. Participants reported that SIMPLe was easy to use and that they were satisfied with SIMPLe with more completers endorsing usability and satisfaction than non-completers. Participants experienced significant improvements in wellbeing and health between baseline and 6 months, on average.